"Green shoots" manufacturers alluded to are taking hold if comparison of 2010 and 2011 truck sales are an indication
By Gary Worrall | August 10, 2011
The fabled “green shoots” that inspired Scania boss Roger McCarthy to predict a gentle increase in the truck market appear to have taken hold, based on a comparison of 2010 and 2011 truck sales.
While the song remains the same in terms of the top players, the real difference is the number of trucks reaching customers, with 2,134 handovers in July 2010 compared with 2,405 in July 2011.
Isuzu remains the undisputed champion, proving that not even an earthquake can knock it off the top spot. It handed over 631 units in 2011 (556 units in 2010).
Units sold by Hino were lower in July 2011 (290), with the company handing over 311 deliveries last year. Marketing boss Paul Tuffy says the company is suffering from stock shortages in certain models since the Japanese earthquake in March.
“We are getting back to our pre-quake levels but there can be an issue of mix, depending on specific customer needs,” Tuffy says.
Kenworth is another to retain its undisputed champion tag, this time as heavyweight king. It had plenty of trucks rolling out the doors in Bayswater as 127 units were put to work on the nation’s highways, compared to just 76 in 2010.
Possibly the biggest improver is Iveco. The Dandenong manufacturer sent out 124 trucks in 31 days this year – a major increase over the 2010 result of 77 trucks and also one of the few to improve in terms of the year-to-date figure for 2011.
Iveco could improve further in the coming months, with local production of the manual Powerstar getting underway and promising to add to the overall number of trucks delivered.
When asked how they could be delivering more trucks month-on-month yet less overall than two months ago, a number of manufacturers pointed to June 2010 being the last round of stimulus packages handed to stave off the global economic crisis.
With no such package for 2011 the feeling among manufacturers is that the market is now showing its true mettle, including the ability to bounce back on its own despite the numerous hurdles to full recover such as the proposed carbon tax and ongoing reticence of financiers to loan for road transport.
Other brands celebrating continued strong performances through the middle portion of 2011 include Freightliner, which is doubly happy given the next generation Argosy is now on sale, completing the rejuvenation of its product offering.
Other improvers are Scania (35 units this year versus 30 in 2010), Mack (53 units versus 35 units) and Volvo (92 units compared with 63 units).
The market has also welcomed Chinese brand Foton, Korean manufacturer Hyundai, English waste truck specialist Dennis Eagle and CAT Trucks, all of which are adding to the overall total of vehicles sold but also meaning the market share per manufacturer is spread wider.
Hyundai’s sales and marketing manager, Anthony Hulme, says the Korean brand is on target to meet its longer term aspirations, with Euro 5-compliant trucks arriving in dealerships later this year following a successful sell out of ADR 80/02 trucks.
According to Hulme, Hyundai is looking to establish itself as a player during the first five years of operations, and then gradually expand its range to include medium and heavy duty products.